What I call a cablecar, they call a ropeway, but the latter is a general word in Japanese for any kind of aerial lift (索道 sakudō), includincluding an aerial tramway, funitel, gondola lift, a funicular and a cablecar - as well as chairlift. Other aerial lifts are officially called "normal ropeway" (普通索道 futsū sakudō), or colloquially "ropeway" (ロープウェイ or ロープウェー rōpuwei or rōpuwē).

The lower Mount Misen ropeway station is a ten-minute walk inland from Itsukushima Shrine or a twenty-minute walk from the Miyajima ferry pier. The ride up the mountain takes about 20 minutes and requires two separate ropeway journeys.

Even when taking the ropeway, reaching Misen's various attractions still requires a considerable amount of strenuous uphill walking, as the mountain's peak is another 100 meters higher and about a kilometer away from the upper ropeway station around the Shishi-iwa Observatory. The Misen Hondo and Reikado buildings are located along the trail, about five minutes before the summit.